


My Friend, My Brother, My Nephew, My Son

by JesusChristsuzIe



Series: Loss of Life and Embrace of Death [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Character Death, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Hurts So Good, Injury, Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, Katara & Zuko (Avatar) Friendship, Major Character Injury, Other, POV Katara (Avatar), Platonic Relationships, Zuko (Avatar) Angst, Zuko (Avatar)-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:15:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24699691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JesusChristsuzIe/pseuds/JesusChristsuzIe
Summary: Iroh can't afford to lose another sonWhat if Zuko never survived against Azula
Relationships: Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), Katara & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Loss of Life and Embrace of Death [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1838794
Comments: 22
Kudos: 422





	My Friend, My Brother, My Nephew, My Son

Zuko was tired. 

He was so tired.

He hadn't slept in what felt like days and Azula had taken all the fight out of him. He stayed still, splayed out on the ground, watching the flashes of blue light in the sky above him grow fuzzier and fuzzier. 

He knew he was dying. 

His eyelids were growing heavier with each passing second and each breath was harder to drag in.

He was ready to die.

Zuko was tired. He wanted to rest. To sleep. He wanted to be drawn into warm arms of Agni for the final time. 

Zuko felt at peace. 

He opened his eyes, looking up into the warm face of Katara. He smiled. She was blocking the sun. She was frowning. She was crying. 

She was gone.

\---

She was too late. She had known it the moment she got to him. 

It didn't stop her from trying though.

She drew in whatever water she could, even using her own tears, focusing all her power, her energy, her strength onto Zuko's wound. 

Wound was an understatement.

His chest was ... _open_. There was no other word for it. His chest was open. Blood was oozing out of the _cavity_ in his chest, the skin around it jumping with energy. If she looked too close, she could see the _hole_ was lined with a fine burn that spread out like the roots of a tree, like lightning in the sky. 

She did the best she could, she really did. She stopped the blood loss at the very least, but the damage was too dire by the time she reached him. 

Her robes were soaked with his blood, her face streaked with tears and her hands numb with the cold of the water. She stopped.

She was getting nowhere and the skin on Zuko's chest that wasn't warped by lightning was starting to get wrinkly and draw together.

She stopped, letting the reality of the situation wash over her, letting her grief envelop her, letting her guilt take over.

She leant over Zuko's body, he looked small and vulnerable, almost naked. 

Exposed.

She was curled over him now, arms wrapped around his cold, lifeless body. She shuddered at the thought. _Cold_. Zuko had never been cold in his entire life. Now, as she held his body to her's, all she could feel was how cold he was. He was almost frozen.

_'Stupid Zuko. Stupid fucking Zuko. Stupid over-protective Zuko.'_

Azula had been silent for some time. She had stopped screaming when Katara had folded over Zuko.

Katara hadn't even noticed. Not until she started up again. 

Wailing, screaming, shouting, screeching.

 _Begging_.

She was begging, pleading, asking.

For Zuko. She screamed over and over again for Zuko, for Zuzu, for her brother.

Katara felt sick. 

Her voice was beginning to falter, but still she did not stop. Screeching for Zuzu to get there right now. Screaming that Zuko come here at once. Shouting that her brother wake up this instant.

Azula was crying now, crying for her brother, her big brother. She wanted her brother, her Zuko, her Zuzu.

Katara wanted her Zuko too.

Katara didn't know how much time had passed, a minute, an hour, a day. She didn't know. She didn't care. Finally a guard approached her, prying her gently off of Zuko's limp form, she tried to fight back, clinging to him, clawing at him, but she was tired, physically and emotionally. The guard stopped, finally, and Katara immediately returned to Zuko's side, clutching him tightly.

"I'm very sorry Lady Katara, but we have to move him. He can not stay here."

Katara barely registered the words.

"Please Lady Katara, we have to move him."

Katara looked up, and nodded wordlessly. Before the guard had moved, though, she spoke, her voice cracking painfully, "Put him somewhere comfortable, so people can see him before he's buried."

The guard bowed, "Of course, Lady Katara."

Two other guards hurried over, lifting up Zuko's lifeless body and hurrying him into the palace.

Katara looked over at Azula, hunched in on herself, arms pulled back painfully behind her as she struggled against her chains, screaming for her brother to come back to her. 

Katara looked away, feeling sick again.

She decided she needed sleep.

\---

Katara was woken by another guard, with the urgent news that the avatar and his party were approaching, Ozai was defeated and the war was won. 

Katara blinked. The war was won.

Then why did she feel so lost.

\---

Katara stood in the courtyard. Alone. She watched the speck in the distance grow larger and larger into the familiar shape of Appa.

All too soon, Aang was jumping off the bison, tangling himself into her arms, shouting and raving. Celebrating.

Sokka strode up behind him, arm casually slung around Suki's shoulders, with Toph in tow.

"Where's Zuko?"

"Yes, where is that nephew of mine, Lady Katara? Already busying himself with the work of his Nation. He pushes himself to hard, he does. I do wish he would relax sometimes."

Katara stared at the earnest, old man before her, his old eyes sparkled warmly, immediately softening at the thought of his nephew.

Katara could only look away.

"Lady Katara, where's Zuko, is he hurt?"

Katara could only nod, tears seeping from her eyes as her grief washed over her, not just for herself, but for the old man before her. The old man who had spent the better half of his life showering those around him with nothing but kindness, and being met with nothing but cruelty.

"Where is he?" Panic had seeped into his voice now, his eyes no longer kind and welcoming, but cold and fearful. 

Katara shook her head, her shoulders shaking slightly with her sobs.

"Where is my nephew, Katara?"

His voice was urgent now, he sounded on the verge of years himself.

She turned away, beckoning slightly for everyone to follow her.

She walked slowly through the palace, desperately holding onto the sobs that threatened to break out, trying to navigate her way through the labyrinth of halls.

They finally made it to Zuko's room, where she assumed he had been put, it was the only place that seemed reasonable after her request of the guards.

She pushed open the door, peering into the room, seeing Zuko laid out on the bed, he looked so small and weak, nothing remained of his former self, it brought her grief crashing down on her all over again. She opened the door wider, letting everyone in. 

Iroh was immediately at his side, holding Zuko's hand to his cheek, hand stroking his hair, ever so gently, afraid he would break if he wasn't careful enough.

"Oh my son, my dear son. Please, my son, come back to me. I can't lose another son, please. Don't leave me."

The man's hushed tears as he whispered desperately to his nephew, his _son_ , broke Katara's heart. 

"Please Zuko, my son, come back to me, please, I need you. I cannot lose you for a second time. I just got you back, do not leave me all over again."

The group had the courtesy to leave the grieving man alone.

"He saved my life."

The group looked at Katara. She continued.

"He died to save my life, he- Azula shot lightning, he tried to redirect it, he dove in front of me, he saved me. He died for me. It's my fault. It's my fault he's dead."

"No, Lady Katara," she turned to see Iroh, red eyed and tired, "Zuko decided to take that lightning for you. It was his decision and his decision alone. All you can do now is make sure he didn't die in vain, live your life to the fullest, be the person my nephew knew you could, the person my nephew deemed worthy of saving."

He placed a warm hand on her shoulder, a watery smile on his face.

"Honour my son, Lady Katara, honour his memory."

Katara broke down once more, fresh tears streaming down her face. Iroh pulled her in for a tight hug, weeping with her. Soon they were joined by the rest of the group. 

They stood together, holding each other tight, mourning the life of their friend, their brother, their son.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know if this is that good the ending felt kind of forced as I was writing it but I had this idea and needed to get it out because it turns out I can only write angst ever


End file.
